Camera-tripod.



N0. 688,489. Patented D66. l0, |90L I J. SATTEL.

CAMERA TRIPOD.

(Application filed Aug. 19, 1901.

(No Model.)

Inventor:

UNITE STATES" PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB SATTEL, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

CAMERA-TRIPOD.

SPECIFICATION forming part or Letters Patent N6. 688,489, dated December10, 1901'. a ease. filed August 19, 1901. Serial No. 72,543. on model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB SATTEL, of Rochester, in the county of Monroeand State of New York, have invented a new and useful ImprovementinCamera-Tripods, which improvement'is fully set forth in the followingspecification and shown in the accompanying drawings.

My invention is a knockdown or reducible camera-tripod'designed moreparticularly for fieldwork, the same being hereinafter fully described,and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

The object ofthe invention is to produce a tripod of simple constructionfor supportin g a camera so constructed as to be quickly andconveniently taken apartand reduced to small dimensions for convenienceof carrying or packing.

In the drawings, Figure l is a view of the device looking down on top ofthe same. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the top plate removed, thesection being as on the dotted liue2 2 in Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a sideelevation of the device as in use, seen as indicated by arrow in Fig. 1.Fig. 4 is a side elevation of parts at the upper end of a leg, furthershowing the construction, the section being as ou'the clottedline inFig. 2. Fig. 5 is an elevation of parts similar to that shown in Fig. 4,parts being shown in two positions by full and dotted lines. Fig. 6 is aside elevation of parts at the top of a leg, further showing theconstruction. Fig. 7 is a skeleton View drawn to show the operation ofthe lower plate, the latter being shown in two positions by full anddotted lines. Fig. 8 shows the connection ot the sections of a leg, apart being longitudinally sectioned. Fig. 9 shows the form of a part ofa section of a leg. Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7 are drawn to a scale smallerand Figs. 8 and 9 to scales larger than that of Figs. 5 and6.

D in the drawings is the head of the tripod, consisting of a lightcircular plate A, constituting the floor upon which the camera box orbody is placed, and a similar though thicker plate B beneath andparallel with the plate A. The plate A is provided with three rigiddownwardly-extending prismatic arms a a (1 equally spaced around acircle concentric with the plate, the arms being radial as to theirwidth or larger horizontal dimensions and le no rmal position ofhorizontality, all the legs forming right angles with the plate. Thelower plate B is pierced by rectangular openings b b b, Figs. 2 and 4,opposite and in position to receive the respective arms a, as shown. Toeach of these arms is secured a leg 0 of the tripod, said legs beingthus connected with the upper plate A and controlled by the plate. Thearms are provided with 6e rigid studs c,extending outhorizontallytherefrom, upon which studs the legs 0 are hung, respectively, thelatter being made flat or practically rectangular in cross-section wherethey meet the arms. The upper fiat ends of the legs pass upward throughthe respective openings b in the plate B, said openings being made justwide enough to receive snugly in each an arm aand the associated end ofa leg withoutunnecessarylost space or room at the side.

A spring 11, preferably trifurcated,as shown, is fixed rigidly to thecenter of the plate A on its under'surface, onebranch ofwhich springbears against the plate'B adjacent to each opening I) or the associatedarm a, as shown. The tendency'of the spring is to push the upper and thelower plates apart or control .them, the normal position of the lowerplate being against-the studs 0 below it, as appears in Fig. 4. The legsare adapted to turn on the respective carrying-studs, and when it iswished to detach a leg from the head D the adjacent part of the plate Bis tilted upward against the spring, as shown in Fig. 5. This releasesthe leg from the plate Band allows it to be slipped laterally off-of thestud, as indicated by the dotted position of the leg in said Fig. 5. Toattach the legs to the head, the plate B is tilted in asimilar mannerfor each When the lower plate is down to its are locked to place uponthe studs and confined snugly against the respective arms a. When thedevice is taken down for the purpose of carrying or packing, thestuds 0control the lower plate and prevent it becoming separated from the upperplate.

I sometimes find it desirable to construct the arms a withslightly-tapered parts 7c near their lower ends opposite the studs, asshown in Fig. 5. This is for the purpose of causing the lower plate whenpressed down to its normal position after the legs are put in place IOOupon the respective studs to press the contiguous parts of the legsfirmly against the arms. There being broad bearing-surfaces between thelegs and the associated arms, this pressing of the parts firmly togethertends to stifien the structure and cause the legs to better maintaintheir places.

The legs are preferably made tubular in form, each comprising two ormore telescop- Io ing sections e f, as shown, so as to be capable ofbeing reduced or closed to short lengths. All the sections of each legabove the lower onesf (sometimes more than two are used) are formed withlongitudinal slits g, Figs. 3, 8, and 9, the adjacent ends of the lowersections having rigid pins h to traverse the slits when the sections aremoved longitudinally upon each other to vary the length of the legs. Atits lower end each slit terminates in a right-angled portion, as shownin Fig. 9, forming a rest 1' for the pin of the overlapping section.When the pins of all the legs occupy these rests, the sections arelocked together and the legs rendered stable as to length.

WVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

1. A camera-tripod having a head consisting of an upper and a lowerplate relatively movable, a controlling-spring engaging both plates, andsupporting-legs passing through the lower plate and connected with theupper plate, substantially as shown and described.

2. A camera-tripod having a head comprising an upper and a lower platerelatively movable and the latter being perforated, and the upper platehaving arms projecting downward through the perforations in the lowerplate, a spring between the plates, and supportingdegs extending upwardthrough the lower plate, and joined to the respective arms of the upperplate, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. A camera-tripod having a head comprising parallel relatively movablecircular plates one over the other, a spring between said plates, armsrigid with the upper plate equally spaced around a circle concentricwith the upper plate and extending downwardly through the lower plate,laterally-projecting pins in the arms below the plate, andsupporting-legs held pivotally by said pins, shown and set forth.

4. A camera-tripod having a head consisting of an upper and a lowerplate, a spring between the plates and bearing directly on both of them,and supporting-legs piercing the lower plate and controlled by the upperplate, said plates being relatively movable and the lower plate beingconstructed and arranged to tilt againstthe spring, substantially as andfor the purpose stated.

5. A camera-tripod having a head consist ing of an upper and a lowercircular plate, said plates being movable relatively-to each other, aspring held by the upper plate to engage and control the lower plate,and supporting-legs piercing the lower plate and do tachably connectedwith the upper plate, with thelower plate normally bearing on the pivotsof the legs, substantially as and for the pur pose specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, this 14th day of August,1901, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses JACOB SATTE L.

Witnesses:

Enos B. WHITMORE, MINNIE B. SMITH.

substantially as

